Improvement in railroad-gages



UNITED STATES PATENT vOFFICE.

JAMES T. KETOHLEDGE, OF OXFORD, NEW JERSEY.

IMPROVEMENT IN RAILROAD-GAGES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 157,182, dated November 24, 1874; application filed May 5, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J AMES T. KETCHLEDGE, of Oxford, in the count-y of Warren and in the State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railroad-Gages; and do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof7 reference heilig had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, making a part of this specification.

The nature of my invention consists in the construction and arrangement of a gage for laying and repairing railroadtrack, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth. In order to enable others skilled in the art t0 which my invention appertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation, referring to the annexed drawing, in which the figure in the accompanying drawing represents a perspective view, showing a narrow and a broad gage railroad-track with my gage applied thereto.

A represents a bar of any suitable dimensions, to one end of which is secured a crossbar, B, extending an equal distance on each side of the bar. The ends of the crossbar B are bent outward, and run on lines parallel with the bar A. These ends of the bar B form rods a a, upon which are placed the feet O O, made movable upon the rods, and fastened at any desired points thereof by means of setscrews b b. In the center of the cross-bar B is secured a stationary foot, C. From the opposite end of the bar A projects a rod, d, upon which are placed two adjustable feet, D D, secured at the desired points by means of setscrews e e. On top of the bar A is secured a plate, E, from which rises a dial-plate, G, and in a frame, H, attached thereto, is hung a weighted index-finger, h.

This gage is intended for use in laying and repairing railroadtrack, and gives the level of the road, if required, and the elevation of the curves. The three feet (l, C, and C are to straddle therail on onel side, and the bar is laid straight across to the opposite rail, the feet D D on that end being intended one for wide-gage and the otherfor narrow-gage roads.

When the track is level the index-hand h will stand straight with the center-mark on the dial-plate G; and the index-hand will show whether the grade of the curve has the proper elevation or not.

Among the advantages possessed by my gage may be cited the following: First, the impossibility of applying the gage to the track at other than a right angle to the line of the rails, thereby insuring perfect accuracy of measurement. This is effected by means of the three clamps or jaws O and G C on the bar B. Second, the plumb-level or dial-plate with index has a pointed and graduated arc so adj usted. that when the ends of the gage-bar A are horizontal the pointer indicates zero on the arc. An elevation of the bar at either end one inch is shown by the pointer moving over one space on the arc. This enables the track-men to give the exact elevation to the rail without the use of spirit-level, straight-edge, or rule. Third, the gage can be adjusted to suit any width of track, and can be used to gage both a narrow and a broad gage track without removing it from the rails.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isv The combination of the bar A, angular bar B, stationary jaw O', movable jaws O O, and the rod d with the two movable jaws D D, and the dial-plate G and index h, all substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 18th day of April, 1874.

J. T. KETOHLEDGE. [L S.]

Witnesses:

MORRIS R. TEMPLE, GEORGE A. BEMLER. 

